All About Nutrition

Heart Health Questions and Answers

Lisa Nelson - Heart Health and Weight Loss ExpertVital Health Zone is proud to announce Lisa Nelson, who is our resident heart health and weight loss expert and who is available to answer questions about heart health and weight loss.

Lisa has a private practice and is available for distance consultation, via telephone or email, as well as consultation at her practice.

Lisa answers all your heart health and weight loss questions below:

 

Q: Recently I have decided to lose weight and I have implemented a plan to create positive changes in my life. Could you please provide insights/comments regarding this? Am I eating too much? Too little? Should I increase my exercise time/frequency? Thanks for your help!

I am an 18 year old female, 5’ 6”, and 265 pounds. (Used to weight 270, lost 5 pounds thus far on plan). My meals often consist of:

Breakfast
2 hard boiled eggs (without yolks, approx 35 calories)
1 mini low-fat yogurt cup (approx 35 calories)
1 Glass of 1% Milk (250 ml, approx 110 calories)
OR 1 Bottled Water (0 calories)
Total: 180 Calories

Lunch
1 Average sized Banana (approx 105 calories)
OR 1 cup of red grapes (approx 114 calories)
1 Sandwich on 100% Whole wheat bread (approx 170 calories; Bread: 50 calories(I only have one slice) and Low-fat turkey breast/chicken: 120 calories *I do not add butter or cheese*)
1 Glass of 1% Milk (250 ml, 110 calories)
1 Bottled Water (0 calories)
Total: 385 – 394

Dinner
(Here is quite often when I allow myself to eat more)
2 cups of Romaine Lettuce (Approx 32 calories; no salad dressing)
85 g of whole wheat pasta (Approx 360 calories. Pasta: 310 calories. I often use 1 cup of Tomato Juice (approx 50 Calories) for sauce) Approx 120 calories for a meat substance. (Examples include: a can of tuna, half a chicken breast, etc)
1 Bottled Water (0 calories)
Total: 512 calories

Grand total of calorie intake per day: 1077 – 1086

Exercise:
(I’m going to be brutally honest - it’s usually about 5 times a week or so. Of course, there are always exceptions)
45 minutes - 1 hour on the treadmill: 200 – 250 calories burnt

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A: Congratulations on your 5 pound weight loss! You are heading in the right direction.

With your food choices you are doing a good job eating a diet high in fruits/vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grains, and lean meat choices. My main concern with your diet intake is your total daily calories. You are below 1200 calories per day. I don't recommend you drop your calorie intake to below 1200 calories per day. Restricting below this level increases the likelihood your metabolism will slow down. This will make losing weight more difficult. Bump your calorie intake back up to ~1200 per day.

Well done including exercise 5 days a week most weeks. The more often you exercise the better. Everyday is ideal, even if two of those days are just a light walk. Your time on the treadmill (45 - 60 minutes) is great. Continually push yourself. If your treadmill time gets easier for you, increase your incline and speed to keep your intensity up. Also, it's important you add muscle building activities to your workout routine, such as 20-30 minutes of weight lifting. If you do not have experience lifting weights I recommend investing in a session with a personal trainer to ensure you do not injure yourself. You need to build muscle to boost your metabolism and keep you moving towards your goal weight.

Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using supplements in your healing process.

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